A brother-in-law of gangster 'Fat' Freddie Thompson has been jailed for 20 months for his role in a pet shop attack that left a man with a broken nose and a set of keys stuck in his thumb.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the victim, Mark Eagers, beat Dempsey (36) to a parking space outside a pet shop and the pair engaged in a violent scuffle.

Dempsey was joined by third parties and the attack started up again inside the pet shop.

convictions

Mum-of-one Vicky Dempsey (34), who has 12 previous convictions mainly for road traffic offences, earlier avoided jail for her involvement in the incident.

Her brother, of Stannaway Road, Crumlin, pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Purrfect Pets, Longmile Road, on February 5, 2011.

He has three previous convictions, including a seven-year sentence for a £200,000 drugs offence committed in 1998.

Gda Darren Coller told Anne-Marie Lawlor, prosecuting, that Mr Eagers had set out in his van with his girlfriend to buy cat food. On parking his van he heard beeping from a Smart car driven by Dempsey, who accused him of taking his space.

Gda Coller said Dempsey drove off when Mr Eagers told him to "go home in his mother's car" but returned on foot to confront the victim.

Mr Eagers got away for a few minutes and rang gardai, who advised him to wait inside the pet shop until they arrived.

Gda Coller said the shop's CCTV showed Dempsey punching Mr Eagers in the back of his head when he entered the store with his girlfriend. It also showed the victim being kicked and stamped on as Dempsey and others attacked him.

Mr Eagers later described how he blacked out during the attack and woke up bleeding, with a broken nose and keys lodged in his thumb.

Gda Coller said he spotted Dempsey's Smart car coming towards him as he approached the pet shop.

He arrested Dempsey, who had blood on his hands and wounds to his head.

The officer agreed with Luigi Rea, defending, that his client had overcome his drug problems, is now the owner of a garage servicing two taxi fleets and is heavily involved in charity work.

rage

Mr Rea submitted to Judge Martin Nolan that his client has a good work history and was hoping to marry his fiancee soon.

Counsel described the incident as a "road rage situation that got totally out of control" and said his client had €5,000 in court as an expression of remorse.

Judge Nolan said he could have acceded "in good conscience" to a non-custodial sentence had the incident stopped outside the pet shop.